South Koreans Learning Talmud

Why South Koreans are in love with Judaism.

The South Korean ambassador to Israel, Ma Young-sam, raised eyebrows recently when he told reporters the Talmud was mandatory reading for Korean schoolchildren.

South Korea is a country with a deep Buddhist history, but one which has embraced with vigour the Christianity brought to its shores by missionaries in the late 1800s. Official statistics say some 30 per cent of South Koreans are church-going. In such a country, Jews are few and far between.

Yet, pop down to the local corner shop and along with a pot of instant rice or dried noodles, you can buy a copy of Stories from the Talmud. It is not rare, either, to come across book-vending machines stocked with classic works of Babylonian Judaism.

The Talmud is a bestseller in South Korea and is on the curriculum for primary school children.

The Talmud is a bestseller in South Korea - even the government insists it is good for you, and has included it on the curriculum for primary school children.

Lee Chang-ro heads a literature research team at the Ministry for Education. He says: "The reasons why Korean children are taught Talmud are pretty obvious. Koreans and Jews both have a long history of oppression and surviving adversity with nothing but their own ingenuity to thank. There are no natural resources to speak of in Korea, so, like the Jews, all we can develop is our minds."

The fascination with Judaism does not end there. Media outlets regularly run newspapers columns on "Jewish education", weekly radio features, and television documentaries, all of them showing Jews in a glowing light.

The Talmud on display in a Korean bookshop

Although average Koreans can boast that their bookshelves hold at least one or two copies of the Talmud, to think of Korea as a hotbed of latent Judaism would be wrong. The motivation is less to do with religion and more to do with aspiration. Korean parents value schooling above all else. Parents send their children to after-school crammers until midnight and will spend their last penny on tutors and extra lessons. And, shy of good role models on the quest to securing academic success for their offspring, mothers almost unerringly turn to the Jews for inspiration.

Mother-of-two Lee San-sook explains that the way that Jewish children are brought up is universally viewed as positive in Korea.

"The stereotype of Jews here is that they are ultra-intelligent people. Jews have come out of nowhere to become business chiefs, media bosses, Nobel Prize winners - we want our children to do the same. If that means studying Talmud, Torah, whatever, so be it," she says.

Nonetheless, for a small number of Koreans, this love of Jewishness does translate into religious observance, even though, with no synagogues and no access to kosher food, they encounter almost insurmountable problems in leading a Jewish life.

One wannabe Jew, 38-year-old Park Yo-han, has handed in his notice at an investment bank to take the plunge into Judaism. He says he will go to New York, where he knows nobody, has no job prospects, just to follow his dream of Orthodox conversion.

Jewish observance in Seoul is almost entirely centred on Friday night services in the back of a Christian chapel on a US Army base. Every week, the tiny congregation of ex-pats and locals flip pews containing hymns books and New Testaments to face a pokey little ark for prayers. At the end of the night, everything gets put back in place for Friday night Mass. If there was not a small Ner Tamid hanging above the ark, you really would mistake it for a cupboard.

Most of the regular and long-serving members of the congregation are non-Jewish Koreans - civil servants, doctors and a politician from the ruling party, who is currently squeezing in his attendance between bouts of campaigning for local elections. They have no wish to convert but they take their interest in Judaism seriously. Most boast impressive collections of Judaica and read Hebrew fluently.

Among their number is a living legend of Korean Jewry, Abraham Cha. One of the few Koreans who have actually converted, he is a regular fixture at the US Army base services.

An old man now, he still cuts a memorable figure. He has a wild beard, payot, tzitzit protruding proudly, and maintains an unrivalled personal library of Jewish books from around the world, which he has painstakingly collected.

Cha says he had to give up everything to become an observant Jew in Korea.

Anti-Jewish feeling is almost unthinkable in this part of the world.

"My family don't speak to me any more, I had to divorce my wife. I even had to stop working because they wouldn't give me the day off on Shabbat or on Jewish holidays. My bosses couldn't conceive what it meant to be Jewish."

Although precisely what it involves to be a Jew eludes most Koreans, anti-Jewish feeling is almost unthinkable in this part of the world.

Says Seoul resident Naomi Zaslow, "If you refuse a plate of pork ribs here, people will be dumbfounded. If you tell them it's because you're Jewish, they'll unfailingly look impressed and say: 'Oh, you must be very clever'."

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Visitor Comments: 44

(28)
Lawrence Solomons,
August 25, 2013 9:10 AM

reporter is kidding himself

This article is just a dishonest joke. The Koreans like the Chinese see the Talmud as a " mystical solution" to make money as it is "well known" that "Jews know how to make money". The odd one or two who have taken it as a religious quest are just a couple of nuts

(27)
y,
September 13, 2011 6:59 PM

great article...but you forgot to mention....

wonderful article and very interesting. however you forgot to mention that the "army barrack chapel" isn't the only Judaism in town. There is a young and talented rabbi in town who arrived several years ago as the Chabad emissary. He has a whole host of activities ranging from torah classes to communal Passover seders.
-Ijust felt credit should be given where credit is due.

julia,
September 26, 2011 9:41 PM

chabad in seoul

I lived in Korea 1994 - 1999. my last trip was in 2007. Chabad unfortunately didn't open until well after 2007. Until then, the Army chapel WAS the only game in town. I hear Chabad is doinggreat things in Seoul, and I can't wait to go back to Korea to participate!

(26)
Aharon Tuvia,
July 28, 2011 11:34 PM

Talmud

If the Koreans are studying Talmud, that removes any excuse from English-speaking Jews, who now have Artscroll to help them out. If the Koreans think the Talmud makes us "clever," we all need to get to work to prove them right.

(25)
June,
June 3, 2011 3:11 PM

I agree with the paragraph - They are intelligent people. Jews have brought many benefits to the world, yes they are/ have been many Nobel prize winners not nonly in business but in science, medicine atc. Why? you ask, BECAUSE THEY ARE GOD"S PEOPLE. When they are honouring Him , He will honour them!

Irene,
June 4, 2011 10:19 PM

"When they are honouring Him, He will honour them!"
Oh really, how many of the Nobel prize winners were observant?

Aryeh,
June 10, 2011 10:22 PM

perceptive observation

The fact that almost no Jewish noble prize winners are observant is an interesting observation which I complement you for pointing out. That being said, the fact that approximately 20% of Nobel winners are Jewish (who incidentally are .2% of the world's population) is certainly noteworthy. Why is this so? - I am sure many people would give many different answers, but ultimately, only God can know with absolute certainty.

Wassim,
July 14, 2011 6:42 AM

Learning right and wrong in the absence of "absolute certainty"

Who needs absolute certainty? I'm certain enough that Judaism plants and cultivates the roots of wisdom in any human being. The wisdom to listen to the stories from the ages and try to learn from them, and the wisdom to filter out the irrelevant or inapplicable. Ultimately it's a path to self-determination. God is the filter that keeps some people down (when they see God as an authority figure) and pushes some people up (when they see God as an accessible empowering force). The rest is left upto the individual's attitude and effort to determine the final outcome. I really doubt that God is up there deciding who should get Noble prizes and whether being observant is part of the equation.

Anonymous,
April 7, 2013 6:00 PM

You don't need to be observant to bring G-d honor.

Irene,
Perhaps if you did the requisite research, you would find that more Nobel Prize winners were observant than you might think. Being observant is not synonymous with bringing G-d honor.

TMay,
December 12, 2013 2:34 AM

Aumann

Well Robert J Aumann (Yisrael) won a Nobel Prize in Economics in Game Theory and he is an Israeli American who lives in Jerusalem Israel. He is observant. You can look at pictures of him on the internet in Google Images. He wore a keepah and tsitsis when he received the Nobel prize. He applied Game Theory to war, and he said that " Simplistic peace making can cause war." and they gave it to him in spite of the liberals who choose the winners of the Nobel prizes.

Wassim,
June 5, 2011 12:13 AM

response to @June

"Why? you ask, BECAUSE THEY ARE GOD"S PEOPLE. When they are honouring Him , He will honour them! "
This is the dogma we expect of other religions. Judaism is about understanding, not accepting statements that make no sense. People make decisions. God doesn't. Jewish people (in general) make better decisions, so their lives are better rewarded by their own self-determination. This "God's people" notion is a misdirection, as if only people who happen to be Jewish can make good decisions. The key personal decision is to not accept society's fatalistic predictions based on race or religion. Judaism is the champion of the individual who bothers to think for themselves. Anyone who rejects dogma will find themselves closer to self-determination, regardless the religion you were born with. Judaism encourages questioning, therefore it promotes a higher rate of dogma rejection with in turn leads a larger proportion of worshipers towards self-determination. God can take a day off, the Rabbis have done a great job. We are honoured by our own good decisions.

Anonymous,
December 9, 2013 6:48 PM

Clever, intelligent, bearers of light yet fallible when it comes to politics

It is said pride cometh before a fall and nothing proves that axiom as much as in politics affinities!

(24)
YoelyYtzchak,
June 3, 2011 2:10 AM

Old testament??

"Old testament and Torah are the same"
"Yey, great, to hear that people are reading Talmud... that or anything to do with old testament. the more the better"
What?? The Torah is NOT the same as the xtian "old testament"
The Torah is the original, the xtian's many different versions of their Old Testament have all been altered to "fit" whatever their religion wanted to preach, like saying not eating pigs, etc.,is no longer needed.
Guess Deut. 4:2 - "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your G-d which I command you."
is another they don't follow.
I have no issue with those of other faiths, but stop trying to convince us that your O.T is the same as our Torah.

(23)
Andy,
June 2, 2011 4:08 PM

great tool for Jews to try

From the article it sounds like something the Jews can learn from. Israeli parents want their kids to be smart and successful. If they are convinced learning Talmud will help they may go for it. Same for secular Jews elsewhere. Madonna brought Jewish pride and interest in exploring their religion to many Jews who didn't have before it thru her interest in kaballa[she reaches those who don't know from Aish] so why not the Koreans. Seems to me God works in odd ways.
Some comments here make me think some people are mistaking their blessings for their efforts.

(22)
Joseph Kiron,
June 2, 2011 3:22 PM

Not what it seems

Sorry to be a party pooper but, not only is what Mr Ma has in his library not a Talmud but a collection of Aggadic stories learned as fables, but also his Embassy repeatedly stages events in Jerusalem for local residents without respecting their minimal requirement of kosher food (and I fear, not even warning them about it either).
Diplomats the world over know how important this is to those practising authentic Judaism but he brings treif to the Jewish Studies dept of the Hebrew University!
I wrote a very careful, not to say deferential, email to him on the subject and was not honored with so much as an acknowledgment.

(21)
Anonymous,
June 1, 2011 2:25 PM

Silk Route to Korea

In "In the Footsteps of the Ten Lost Tribes", the auther cites the tribes' destination as Korea. i don't know why, but they seem to have entered Japan from that location and then played a major role in developing Japanese culture and language.

(20)
Ada Shulamit,
June 1, 2011 4:19 AM

Gemara

To the person who said the Talmud can only be understood in Hebrew....FYI: it's written in Aramaic. And it definitely can develop the minds of everyone if they can grasp the logic of Talmudic arguments.

(19)
Gustavo Bar -lev Barajas,
June 1, 2011 1:02 AM

boastfull

Well what the koreans are doing, is wanting to define judaism for themselves. Some how being smart and jewish is an identity. They actually feel that their culutre is less inferior. You cant just study Talmud for your own benefit, but for your neighbor and the world should we go out and teach it.

(18)
marsha,
May 31, 2011 5:02 PM

our own ingenuity?

"Koreans and Jews both have a long history of oppression and surviving adversity with nothing but their own ingenuity to thank. " If we had been left to our own ingenuity, there would probably be not much left of us by now. Thankfully, we have G-d to thank for our surviving and thriving. Which might be a reason that the "Oral tradition" requires a teacher-student relationship and not just Talmud stories read from a book.

(17)
Pierre,
May 31, 2011 9:58 AM

dont jump to conclusion

There is not much to be happy about that a nation of none the less valorous people opt for a transalation of parts of the Talmud as a miracle tool to produce Nobel prizes. Like the Talmud could be understood in another language than Hebrew! It shows the depth of despair and spiritual deviation of our friends. It is not idolatry, it's .... I don't know what words to use.

Anonymous,
August 14, 2012 4:32 PM

Isn't it primarily aramaic, to begin with?

It's not even hebrew to begin with...?

(16)
Anonymous,
May 30, 2011 11:25 PM

Menschedik!

I jave found,omst Koreans that I have met who are working in Sydney, Australia, to be very kind, hard working and a mensch. in most incidents!!

(15)
Tuvia,
May 30, 2011 12:32 AM

Now I understand:

I have a blog which cover Israel and the Middle East. It has in excess of 11,700 readers. The highest volume of readers are from the United States. However, what has misified me is that I have readers from over 30 countries. Interestingly the second highest number of readers come from South Korea. Here is a link to my blog for those that are interested: http://israelandthemideast.blogspot.com/2011/05/astronaut-holocaust-and-israel.html This article is about the Israeli Astronaut that lost his life in a space shuttle over Texas. It exploded after entering the atmosphere. This article was purchased by yahoo and is also published on it site. Shalom to all of the world. We shall always keep Israel in our hearts and dreams

(14)
Korean Jew,
May 30, 2011 12:04 AM

It's true

Basically there has never existed anti-semitism has the jewish writer chaim potok once said.
He served in South Korea from 1955 to 1957. He described his time in South Korea as a transformative experience.[1] Brought up to believe that the Jewish people were central to history and God's plans, he experienced a region where there were almost no Jews and no anti-Semitism, yet whose religious believers prayed with the same fervor that he saw in the Orthodox synagogues at home - from wikipedia
As some replies to this article pointed out, there exist vaguely ethical aspect, but which is changing. It is being introduced by christian scholars who have studied in Israel. And Koreans are realizing the truth that real education has to have the core value of ethics. So now there are emerging various movements to learn from jewish wisdom.
Isreel and jewish must consider to support this jews and movements because they are very serious and passionate.

(13)
Anonymous,
May 29, 2011 9:10 PM

Yey!!! great.

Yey, great, to hear that people are reading Talmud... that or anything to do with old testament. the more the better ... spreading the word person to person...
HH

(12)
Bill,
May 29, 2011 7:57 PM

What'd'ya know?

It never occurred to me that when I took up Jewish observance that my family was Korean.

(11)
Julia Arango,
May 29, 2011 7:17 PM

Jews in Korea

I am an an American Jewish woman who had the extreme good fortune to live in Seoul for almost 5 years, and to know Mr. Cha ( who IS very Jewishly committed, and has sacrificed a lot to be Jewish. I loved my time in Korea; the only reason I moved to New York was to find a husn\band ( no success yet). That's the only thing keeping me here, as I'm sure I'm I could get a job easily. I loved being in a country with people who were friendly to Jews and Americans, and frankly I loved being trated like Princess Di ( redheads and blondes get attention). I recommend going to Seoul for vacation, as there is now a Chabad House, something I look forward to seeing on my next trip to Korea.

(10)
yoni,
May 29, 2011 7:02 PM

actually

Jews have been successful throughout history because we value education, stick together and lookout for one another. I would not put talmudic studies at the top of the list as to why we have achieved so much.

CR,
May 30, 2011 12:50 PM

Talmud plays a big part

It's true that Jews have always looked out for one another, but the Jewish mind has always been honed by the Talmud. It is the analytical, questioning mind that has produced such great achievement. Even those Jews who don't study Talmud are raised by parents whose parents taught them to think in certain ways. Mark Twain wrote of the Jews' "aggressive and inquisitive mind." I don't take aggression as an insult. It means not being passive thinkers, not accepting things at face value - always digging deeper to understand and perceive from many different angles. Talmudic study is exactly what develops this kind of thinking.

Monica,
June 2, 2011 11:36 PM

Talmud for 1500 years

There is nothing more analytic and logic than Talmud. The Jewish mind developed from its study, not from the secular political correctness they teach in public schools or universities. You are probably Israeli who was never exposed to the beauty of Talmud, but rather to the antipathy to your religion, you don't know what you are missing, maybe a Korean could teach you.

(9)
Harry Pearle,
May 29, 2011 5:00 PM

Talmud Study Stimulates Concentration Through Multiple Choice?

Great story, but I am still puzzled as to why Koreans are so focused on Talmud study. Could it have to do with the fact that the Talmud offers us many opinions to choose from? I think this multiple choice approach asks the student to spend time reflecting on the possibilities. It may be like taking a MULTIPLE CHOICE test, but one in which the answers are meaningful.........................Maybe the key to learning to to stretch the ATTENTION SPACE to stimulate interest................Perhaps, then, the Koreans can inspire we Jews to study Talmud..

(8)
Harel Hughes,
May 29, 2011 4:52 PM

Korean Synagogues

In 1999 I took a tour of Israel. Also on the tour was a jewish man who was a U.S. army veteran of the Korean War. He told us that he had seen a 'number' of synagogues all over Korea although I don't think he ever had time to stop and investigate them.

(7)
Media Watch North,
May 29, 2011 4:48 PM

We need more friends like Korea!

Thank G-d, a country that loves the Jewish people and Israel.
Let's do everything possible to help Koreans convert! Where is Chabad?

Anonymous,
May 29, 2011 8:19 PM

what are you talking about?

it is NOT a mitzvah to convert non-jewish people. the mitzvah is to draw jews who are ignorant of their heritage back to judaism. in addition, there is no such thing as a jew-loving country and there never will be. It's G-ds will. We see and sense in the tanach, historical events and in the present the anti-semitism that has and is being channeled toward us from everywhere. the korean may like what we do, and they may apprreciate our mental capacities, but they will never understand, love or appreciate the true essence of our beautiful nation.

While this is flattering for the Jewish ego, the South Koreans are missing the point - the ethical content of Judaism.

Hanna,
May 29, 2011 9:14 PM

hi

do get off your high horse Judaism and missing the point... Old testament and Torah are the same and we are all adopted brothers... If south Koreans have taken up reading Talmud that is Gods way saying "I am adopting more children under my wing"

Dvirah,
June 1, 2011 3:21 PM

You've Missed It, Too!

All of creation is G-d's and all sapient beings are his children apriori, they don't need to be adopted. I'm not saying that it is wrong for the South Koreans to learn Torah and Talmud, I'm just pointing out that their rationale for doing so (and admiring the Jews) is "worldly" rather than spiritual. However, the Talmud does say that one who begins to study for the wrong reason will end up doing so for the right reason...so I guess we'll just have to be patient.

(5)
Rachel,
May 29, 2011 3:48 PM

How different from the "Tiger Mother'

A Chinese-Americanf woman has written a book about her very strict parenting methods. Nice to know that some people appreciate the Jewish way, which stresses ethics above intellectual achievement but still manages to produce leaders in secular fields!

(4)
Unlisted,
May 29, 2011 3:20 PM

Ludicrous!

That South Koreans are learning Talmud to try to absorb the secret of Jews' success would be like a Hyundai owner reading a Mercedes owner's manual. The secret is the Jewish NESHAMA! And the only way South Koreans (or anyone else, for that matter) can obtain one is to undergo a halachic CONVERSION, which we certainly welcome them to do!

(3)
Julie/Yehudit Rachel,
May 29, 2011 2:52 PM

Interesting!!

I'm a Canadian, currently working in China.........after reading this, maybe SK really should be in my mind for my next move........
It is true in this part of the world though - there is little thought given to Judaism - in my Chinese contract, I have legal "xmas holidays" - I told them - "I don't want these!!"........suck it up.
Even my boss, when he found out I was Jewish, said, "Oh, I didn't know you were xtian?"..........really........sometimes "ignorance" is no excuse for blind stupidity!

(2)
ruth housman,
May 29, 2011 2:44 PM

in Seoul

I think G_d is laughing here, and why not? The word SEOUL is also pronounced SOUL, and I see a story here, that is right out of the annals of G_d as Master Storyteller.
If they are doing it to gain knowledge, why not? If the reason has to do with money, well that is questionable. But I see something of humor in all of this, and I have read that Koreans are very harsh, unreasonably harsh, with people who do not observe the "rules", such as public whippings, and I really wonder at this curious marriage of ways of being.

Jong,
May 30, 2011 12:47 AM

Correction

Hi, public whippings in Korea, is a "history" of hundreds of years ago. You do not see them now. I am Korean.

(1)
jgarbuz,
May 29, 2011 2:40 PM

No need to convert. As long as we respect each other's traditions.

I don't need to be you, nor do you need to be me, for us to respect and treasure each other's traditions and cultures. Many decades ago, I knew a Korean who was selling wigs in the same market street where my family had its "bargain basement" store in Brooklyn, and became friends. I even went to his marriage. Not long afterwards, many Koreans bought Jewish stores, but like Jews, their kids went on to college to become professionals rather than stay in the little family business. Good hardworking people who built up their country our the ashes of war from nothing too.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!